Swept Away
by Crystal7
Summary: Philip breaks the news of D’Artagnan's death to Queen Anne. Based on the 1998 movie-version of "The Man in the Iron Mask."


Disclaimer: I own nothing.  
  
Author's Note: I have not read the book, but "The Man in the Iron Mask" as well as the other Musketeer books are my "to read list", which grows longer every day. This story is based off of the 1998 movie.  
  
- Swept Away -  
  
Anne nervously paced the room. Her lady in waiting, always faithful, just sat and watched. Her lady knew about every aspect of the queen's life. She knew about her affair with affair with D'Artagnan and the twins Philip and Louis. The door opened and she spun. "Philip!" She called, immediately recognizing the other twin. She ran and embraced her son, "How?"  
  
Philip took a look around and seeing no one who didn't already know the truth he said, "Louis has been imprisoned in the iron mask as me, but he shall be pardoned Mother."  
  
Anne squeezed his hand, "I am glad you are so kind." The she looked at those who had come in with her son, the three musketeers, but they were short one. "Where?"  
  
Philip bent his head and made motion with his hand and Porthos opened the door. Four musketeers, entered, carrying a stretch with D'Artagnan's body on it. Anne, forgetting all behavior and protocol, gave a strangled cry and fell next to her lover's dead body. The tears flowed down her face freely, "D'Artagnan," she whispered.  
  
Philip waved his hand for the other musketeers to leave. No one must know the truth and his mother's name must not be stained in scandal. After the left, closing the door behind them, he knelt at his mother's side and drew a comforting arm around her shoulders, "I am truly sorry, Mother."  
  
"How," Anne uttered in a barely audible tone.  
  
"Louis," Philip's voice cracked and paused to clear the emotion from his throat, "tried to stab me, D'Artagnan stepped in the way and caught in his back."  
  
Anne struggled to maintain her composure. Her lover had been killed by her son. Louis had killed his own father. Anne wanted to tell Philip that D'Artagnan had been his father but she couldn't find her voice. She brought herself to her feet and looked down, longingly at the only man she had ever loved. She kissed his cold forehead and slid the sheet over his face.  
  
Anne turned to her son and he embraced her lovingly. She pulled apart from him, her eyes still damp with tears, and forced herself to speak, "It is no secret, among the court or musketeers that I was grateful to D'Artagnan, but is not well known is that I loved him. I always have and always will."  
  
Philip took both his mother's hands in his own, "He said the same about you."  
  
"He did?" She asked in a whisper.  
  
"Yes, right after he confessed that he was my father. Is it true, Mother? Was D'Artagnan really my father?"  
  
"Yes, Philip, he was. Louis and I could have no children and it first he believed that I was barren and took on many mistresses, but they too bore him no children. Louis and I took on separate quarters and became accustomed to the idea that we would have no heirs. It was during this time that I befriended D'Artagnan and soon our friendship turned to love.  
  
"When I realized I was with child I went to Louis and told him that I did not wish to give up hope for a child. We were together again, and soon you and your brother were born. D'Artagnan knew, as well as I, that you belonged to him, for when I conceived child, I had not shared any man's bed but D'Artagnan's for many years."  
  
"That explains a great deal," Porthos said. Anne glanced at him with a soft look and he explained, "His fierce loyalty to Louis, even when he was making mistakes, his wanting for a son, being completely drunk the night the princes were born."  
  
Anne gave a soft smile, "Nothing would have made us happier than to be together and have D'Artagnan acknowledge them at his own, but it was high treason for us to be together."  
  
Aramis looked at Anne with a look of realization, "That was why you spent all your time in church."  
  
Anne released her son's hands and folded her own in front of her, "Yes. I had sinned so greatly, disobeying my husband and committing adultery, by loving D'Artagnan, and by allowing myself to believe that Philip had been killed at birth."  
  
Aramis replied, "Love is not a sin, not in any form, your highness."  
  
Anne said softly, "You would, as a priest, relieve me of my sins?"  
  
"Yes," He whispered.  
  
Anne smiled and then put two fingers lightly on the sheet that covered D'Artagnan's body, "My love," she whispered, "Rest in peace. You've had your hero's death and shall always be remembered as the greatest musketeer of all time."  
  
Anne turned from his body and said to Philip, "Come King Louis, your subjects will be awaiting you."

THE END


End file.
